by Wendy Dawn

Created on: November 01, 2008   Last Updated: July 01, 2011

If only your dog could talk. He might surprise you with some of the things that are on his mind. In some ways dogs think a little bit like humans, in other ways their thoughts demonstrate their uniqueness.There are four things that are always on a dog's mind: (1) When do we eat? (2) What's that smell? (3) What are you about to do? (4)What am I going to do about what you do?

You know your dog always wants to eat. Some dogs don't care what it is or where it's been. If it's edible and they can get hold of it, they will try to eat it. This knowledge should remind you as a dog owner not to leave food on the table and not to turn your head away when you're eating in front of your dog. If you do, you may look back to find your food has disappeared, while your dog smiles up at you licking his lips.

When he isn't eating, your dog is sniffing around for something to eat, somewhere to eliminate, or getting to know you, your friends, or other dogs. If your dog could tell you, you would understand that he just can't help himself. His sniffer is always "on," which makes smells very distracting.

You may think your dog isn't paying attention to you, but mark these words; he is watching your every move and contemplating your next. You probably don't even realize you have a routine, but your dog notices those little rituals that signal you are about to leave, open the door, go to the bathroom, or grab a bag of cookies.

His next step is to plan his reaction. By the time you make your move your dog is already on top of it: dashing out the door, dragging you back inside by your pant's leg, or diving through the air towards that handful of cookies.

Your dog is smart. He has a lot on his mind. Think about that the next time he fails to fetch, sit, or beg on command. He has too much on his mind to worry with these perfunctory tricks that make you giggle and clap.

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